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May 14, 2024
Kerry Jackson – “We would not exist without the help of our supporters”
“Last year, 1,382 local people were referred to St Gemma’s Hospice for the first time. Over 500 patients received expert 24-hour inpatient care. The Hospice’s specialist community team of doctors and nurses made almost 19,000 contacts with patients living at home. The team also supported hundreds of patients’ families through their loved ones’ illness and bereavement, including a team specifically dedicated to supporting children.
In total, the Hospice had a positive impact on over 3,000 individuals in our city. That is 3,000 people who received expert pain relief and symptom control, were helped to put their affairs in order, felt safe and comforted, or were supported after their loved one had died.
Each year we rely on the kindness and generosity of our community to donate the vast majority of our funds. We would not exist without their support, and I am humbled by the esteem in which the community holds St Gemma’s, and has done so for over 46 years.
We all want to see end of life care and bereavement services properly and sustainably funded, and available to anyone that needs them. National forecasts predict a significant rise in need for palliative and end of life care over the next 20 years, with an ageing population often with multiple, complex needs.
It is unthinkable to imagine my home city without St Gemma’s, or a society not able to meet the growing needs of the population for quality end of life care.
What is the alternative? What would happen to people who rely on hospices if those hospices ceased to exist? NHS community services are already at breaking point and hospital wards and emergency departments at capacity. The reality is that people would struggle at home with pain or other distressing symptoms, potentially alone, or arrive at their local A&E hoping a bed is available for admission to hospital. This is not how we should be providing care to people at their most vulnerable in 21st century Britain.
Death is something that we all must face; but poor care at the end of someone’s life is not something that society or our government should allow. The team at St Gemma’s is acutely aware that there is only one chance to get it right when it comes to dying. As in life, nothing can be guaranteed, but with a skilled and compassionate team and sufficient resources, we know that a good, dignified and comfortable death is entirely possible. And a good death means that those who are left behind are better able to cope with the future. Palliative care should be there for everyone who needs it, when and where they need it.
Dame Cecily Saunders founded the first modern hospice and was a pioneer in the field of palliative medicine, which is now established in many countries worldwide. Her legacy is best summed up by one of her most famous quotes: “You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die.”
If you’d like to support St Gemma’s Hospice, find out how you can help at https://www.st-gemma.co.uk/support us